Things I have learned..

..post Irma. You will get the most amazing support from people you barely know and you will be massively disappointed by those you thought you could rely on. You will find out that some folks will use the time when you are at your lowest ebb to really abuse you..while others will go out of their way to get you back on track. I suppose we realise who our true friends really are when the sh$t hits the fan..and find out who the freeloaders are when the gravy train dries up! We are truly blessed to have been helped through the hurricanes in the BVIs and the fires here in Sonoma by truly, wonderful folks. I cannot wait to be able to repay their kindness in the not to distant future..and, not to be bitter, but I also cannot wait to write down some other names..and put a line through them! Oh..I already have. To those of us who sent love, support and advice we thank you every day..we will never forget it.

Manpot For me in the rebuilding of the South Sound Villa, my biggest villain has been First Bank. Very slow in giving me MY funds to rebuild the villa This month it has taken 11 month to get 93k Hardly a month of expenses. They have also charged me 12 K+ for "insurance" for a totally demolished villa. In addition they are holding my insurance money discussed above. I send them E_mails and almost never get a response. When I call by telephone it does seem to get them to do something. But my complaint on the insurance for which I have no policy, did not approve and did not want. Who insures a demolished building. I view this as fraud!

So happy to hear about the great friends and good helpers.

Couldn't agree more! I learned who I could depend upon when I did my Humane Society volunteer trip shortly after Irma. Those with a lot of 'presence' and a great deal of 'bravado' are sometimes just full of hot air!

Love you, Mal!

While I don't necessarily disagree, I would say that unless you lived in Tortola through, and post-Irma, you have no idea of what people there were going through, and how this may have altered your interaction with people as they struggled through daily life.

We had no problem with our BVI friends at all ( apart from some light looting). It was others that let us down badly and others who immediately contacted me to see how they could help. I totally understand what folks went through..I only saw it a couple of weeks later..but witnessed it firsthand here in Sonoma as we were surrounded by 15 fires for a week...and evacuated three times.These disasters bring out the very best, and worst, in folks.

Sorry, I assumed you were talking about people ON Tortola.

I no longer live in the BVI. I moved to western PR, and went through María, a few weeks after Irma hit the BVI. The aftermath was not pretty.

So many lessons! And so many good people!

We ended up paying off the mortgage on our hurricane damaged house because the hoops that VP Bank expected us to jump through were not reasonable and we couldn’t see holding up the rebuild to meet their requirements.

Mal and Tpcook glad you are getting back on you feet and seeing progress. We are hoping to have our house back up and renting by mid 2019.

It has been a long, stressful rebuild.....can’t wait to be done!

"The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity." ~Ulysses S. Grant

Mr Grant hit the nail on the head..thank you for that..hoping to raise on with you on island.

Looking forward to it Malcolm, 30 days and counting!